By: Don Kodzai Growing up I was always playing some kind of sport. I loved competition and loved to win. Soccer was the sport I enjoyed the most. I played for my high school and also in college when I came to America. In team sports, it’s win at all cost. That’s cool when you […]

By: Lao Shr Sam Ilardo Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, a collection of Zen writing compiled by Paul Reps, is one of my favorite books. I re-read it so often the book’s pages are frayed from my constant use. One of the Zen stories that I continually think of from this book is the following parable […]

A Message from Mr. George It seems like some kids are naturally fast, and some kids are just slow. In martial arts we practice “fast” to show power and precision; we also practice “slow” to show balance and control. Those are naturally slower can still practice to increase their speed, but it will take time […]

By Master Eric Sbarge Last month I wrote about the tai chi concept of “investing in loss” and discussed the importance of learning how to give up in order to gain. Now I want to address the idea of less being more, especially as it pertains to our martial arts and yoga. Yes, we do […]

By: Micheal Heflin For some people imparting words of wisdom to others comes easy. Those people always seem to have a combination of intelligence, experience, & intellect to be able to take their life experiences & communicate those experiences to others in a way that makes the listeners see the wisdom & beauty in what […]

Mark Twain famously declared that “The only two certainties in life are death and taxes.” He wasn’t original with this quote – apparently it goes back to Benjamin Franklin and possibly much earlier. So for a long time people have lamented, feared and railed against death and taxes. But those of us who are dedicated […]

By Master Eric Sbarge If I ask, “Who wants good health, a clear and focused mind, a positive attitude, and a productive and peaceful lifestyle?” everyone’s hand goes up. But if I then ask who is willing to significantly change their eating habits, organize time in their day to meditate and exercise, cut ties with […]

Written By: Lao Shr B. Dale Saufley, certified teacher, The Peaceful Dragon  As a student who came to the martial arts kind of late in life, I am now a firm believer in the benefits of our system and approach. Even though my main focus has been in the internal arts of tai chi, pagua, yoga […]

A Message from Mr. George The first thing about leadership is to lead by example. Mahatma Gandhi used to see hundreds of followers and answer their troublesome questions. These followers would line up for blocks in the hot sun, hoping that Gandhi’s wisdom would solve their problems. One mother took her son to see Gandhi. […]

By Master Eric Sbarge The great coach Vince Lombardi famously said, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” And less famously I’ve said, “In life there are wieners and losers, and my dogs are wieners.” So what about winning – is it everything it’s cracked up to be? And if you’re not a winner, does […]